THE SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD Sketchbook JANUARY 2019 www. southernazwatercolorguild.com Happy New Year! Tifft Grant Open Studio We are looking to implement an Open Studio each second Saturday and Sunday of every month, beginning January 2019. If you d like a morning or afternoon shift, please contact Sandra at sanfmontgomery@aol.com. This is a great opportunity for you to connect with potential buyers and show off your work. We know from surveys that active painting brings in visitors to our gallery! A letter from our President, Karyn Vampotic, distributed by Docent Coordinator, Bethanne Simpson, encourages all docents to consider setting up to paint at our new 4 table, purchased just for this purpose. Docents and Open Studio volunteers can set up right outside our door in good weather, or right inside the front area of the gallery, and paint. Active painting intrigues passersby and brings an increase in visitors and sales! No other store in the Williams Centre can compete with our live attractions! Have you thought about applying for the Tifft Grant? The Tifft Grant was established to engage emerging artists as well as seasoned artists who are working with water-based and related media in a learning experience utilizing the concepts found within archives of Janet s (Tifft) artwork. The Tifft Arts and Sciences Heritage Fund in Recognition of Janet Ann (former SAWG member) and William Grant Tifft has been established through the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) and those wishing further information can contact Robyn Schwager through email at grants@jcftucson.org or contact me directly. SAWG is one of the few organizations to be invited to apply for this generous artistic grant and we look forward to many years of this opportunity. Submitted by Nancy Holmberg, Grant Administrator Membership Directories are Here! The 2018-19 Directories are here! Be sure to pick up your copy at the next General Meeting, or any time at the Gallery. NEXT GENERAL MEETING MONDAY, JAN. 14TH SOCIAL - 6:30pm ST. FRANCIS CHURCH TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1 OPEN STUDIO TIFFT GRANT PAGE 2 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE MISC NEWS PAGE 3 SHOW NEWS PAGE 4 MORE SHOW NEWS SHOW SCHEDULE PAGE 5 WORKSHOP NEWS PAGE 6 GALLERY NEWS PAGE 7 MORE GALLERY NEWS PAGE 8 PUBLICITY NEWS MEMBERSHIP NEWS DVD LIBRARY Sign up Today! 2019 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE January 15-16 & 17-18, 2019 Randy Hale February 12-15, 2019 Lian Quan Zhen March 12-15, 2019 Fealing Lin
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Painting! It s what we love to do! And what visitors to our beautiful gallery come to see. That s why I ve asked Bethanne Simpson, our Docent Coordinator, to send a letter to everyone who plans to take a turn sitting in our gallery. I hope that includes you! In the letter I ask that each docent seriously consider bringing paint materials when it s time to docent and to use our new smaller table to set up and be visible while painting. Whether it s outside the gallery, when our gorgeous winter sun graces us, or right inside the front window, we ve seen that the act of painting attracts gallery visitors. More visitors, more sales, more exposure to the community at large I hope you ll agree that it s a win/win when you set up your paints and work away your docenting hours. This is not a requirement just a hope you ll want to participate to actively increase our gallery s visibility. Lots of exciting events coming up! I hope you saw the eblast and signed up for my next free (including materials) workshop: Framing on the Cheap! It s open to the first 10 members who rsvp to me at president@southernazwatercolorguild.com. Sign up began December 21. The workshop is at the gallery on Monday, January 21st from 1 2:30. I ll be sharing my thrift store technique of scoring inexpensive quality frames, the equipment needed to do your own framing and Mike Dutton, who had a framing business for years will add his expertise! I ll have all the tools available for participants to frame a small watercolor/acrylic painting of their own. Randy Hale will judge the entries for the Annual Show and be at the gallery to give out awards at the Annual Show Reception on Thursday, January 17th. This is a point show. I hope you entered paintings and that I ll see your artwork on our walls! I m happy to report that both two day Hale workshops are full, but we have an exciting four day workshop with artist Lian Quan Zhen February 12 15th just around the corner. Sign up now for this awesome opportunity to increase your skills at our fabulous workshop setting at St. Francis in the Foothills! If you were lucky enough to get into the SAWG Video Club, you know how wonderful it is to meet the last Monday of every month and watch a film on watercolor techniques and paint together as a community. Our next Club meeting is Monday January 28th. We transform the gallery into a movie theater and are engaged for an hour and half with no outside interruptions. Heaven! Community. We are a very special community. I hope you ll participate in our community and come to our January 19th 11 am Brainstorming Session on ideas for Summer Shows at the gallery. Marti White, our Vice President of Shows, will join me in a roundtable discussion highlighting YOUR ideas for innovative exciting shows from June 13th to the beginning of September. We d love to hear your thoughts!! This is YOUR gallery and YOUR Guild!! Come voice YOUR opinion!! To dovetail with that session, on Saturday, February 16th at 11am at the gallery, Marti and I will demystify the process of running a SAWG show. It s easier than you think and a GREAT way to get to put names to faces! It s easy when you work with the best! I hope everyone s holiday season was filled with joy and contentment and hope to see all of you at our next General Meeting on Monday, January 14th at 6:30 for socialization, 7:00pm for the Meeting and demonstration by the fabulous Randy Hale! All the best, Karyn Remember - To submit any articles for the Sketchbook to Sandy Walker, walkersj@cox.net. Deadline is always the 15th of each month. MISC. NEWS STILL MORE FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP! Two of the original four free Member programs are still to come your way this exciting SAWG season. Coming! Sunday, March 17th, Downtown Gallery Tour. Meet at the gallery at 11:00 am. Join a caravan of cars to selected studios of artists located downtown with easy parking. This is a chance to see what other fabulous artists, working in a variety of media are creating. RSVP begins February 17th. Drivers will be needed. If you have a favorite downtown gallery you ve always wanted to visit email Karyn with ideas at president@southernazwatercolorguild.com. No limit on participants, but an rsvp is required to be sure we have enough drivers and don t leave anyone behind! Pump up the excitement! Make sure your membership is current so that you can join in the fun! January Brainstorming Session Meet Karyn Vampotic and Marti White at the gallery on Saturday, January 19th at 11:00am to brainstorm ideas for summer shows!!! Our shows are scheduled through June 13th. Our Young at Art, program winds up then and September showcases our Share our Walls show. What ideas do you have to fill the gallery that are fun and creative! Come share your ideas with us!!! No other commitment required we just want your thoughts!!! It s YOUR community and gallery!! Come explore topics with us!!! Upcoming! February 16th, 11:00 at the gallery the Nuts & Bolts of Running a SAWG Show! Join Karyn Vampotic and Marti White for a down and dirty demystification of how a show is put together. We ve been doing it for years and have it down to a science! Curious about what s involved? Come for this hour long presentation and share you ideas about the process! Who knows? You might find yourself getting the itch. One thing at SAWG you re never alone in anything you do for your community. Support is all around you. So check it out! No commitment required. This is an information session. In March, look for Nancy Huber to do a PowerPoint presentation on how she achieves her unique watercolor paintings. Lots of people have been asking, so Nancy has agreed to put on a presentation.
51 SHOW NEWS s t ANNUAL SHOW The 51st Annual Show is on its way! Thank you to our member artists for submitting 106 entries to this flagship show. We will be hanging the show on January 7, and the reception will be the following week, on Thursday, January 17, from 5-7 pm. Randy Hale, the juror and judge for this show, will bestow the show awards and tell us why he chose them, so be sure to join us for good company, food and drink, and amazing art! If you can't make the reception, the show will remain up through February 3rd, so do stop by and pick your favorite piece of artwork for our People's Choice award. Submitted by - Judy Constantine and Kat Manton-Jones, Show Chairs Sign up Today! Signature Members Show It's coming soon! Signature members your turn to show your watercolor painting skills in the 2019 Signature Show! The entry and jpg deadline is January 18th. The show will run from February 5th until March 3rd, 2019. This show is not juried; only the first 70 paintings will be accepted. Refunds will be given to those in excess of the limit. Lian Zhen Quan will be the awards judge. Questions? call Co-chairmen Bill Bearden (520 818-1729) or Wayne Ufford (520 850-5685) for more information. Be sure to enter this year's Signature Show! Submitted by - Bill Bearden Fiesta SonoraShow Sign up Today! Our annual Fiesta Sonora Show is just around the corner. This is the last POINT show of the season. We encourage you to share your wonderful interpretations of the Sonoran Desert Region in our gallery show which will be held from March 5th to March 31st! The jpeg images of your entries must be received by February 8th. Please send images to Nancy Huber: images@southernazwatercolorguild.com. Please check the SAWG website and review the Resource: Defining the Sonoran Desert Region, the Show Policy section and the Guidelines for Presentation of Artwork. If after checking the website you still have questions, you can contact either of the show chairs, Tracy Lynn or Paula. Co-chairs for this show: Tracy Lynn Ross tlross3@yahoo.com (520) 907-8941 and Paula Weech pjweech@cox.net (520) 904-3541. Submitted by - Paula Weech Arizona Aqueous 2019 Arizona Aqueous will be held at the Tubac Center for the Arts January 18, 2019 through February 24, 2019. Congratulations to 10 of SAWG s members whose paintings have been accepted into the National Arizona Aqueous Exhibit hosted by the Tubac Center for the Arts. Please join me in recognizing Marti White, Carolyn Hanft Streed, Fran Dorr, Dru Hill, Judy Constantine, Susan L Hildreth, Kat Manton-Jones, Jane Coen Grinenneau, Eulalie Brown and Del Marinello-Witzlib for their outstanding talent, increasing SAWG s recognition and respect and earning a national show point towards Saguaro Fellow status!
MORE SHOW NEWS Holiday Show Thanks to all the volunteers who helped to put together our 2018 Holiday Show and to hang the 111 paintings we received. As of this writing, we ve sold 12 wall paintings and 8 bin pieces! In combination with the show reception, we had our SAWG Holiday party. The party was well attended with some sales and we had terrific food, drinks and people. It was really fun and a great way to showcase our Holiday show. With only 10 days to Christmas, we hope to report many more sales at the end of the show. The Northwest Watercolor Society has issued a Call to Artists for its 79th Annual International Open Exhibition. This show is an approved point show for the Saguaro Fellow national show requirement. The deadline for entry is January 13, 2019 at 6pm PST. The prospectus and online entry is posted on their website www.nwws.org. Submitted by - Marti White 2018-19 Show Schedule Annual Show January 8, 2019 February 3, 2019 Reception, Thursday, January 17, 5-7pm Signature Show February 5, 2019 March 3, 2019 Reception, Thursday, February 14, 5-7pm Fiesta Sonora March 5, 2019 March 31, 2019 Reception, Thursday, March 14, 5-7pm Experimental Show April 2, 2019 April 28, 2019 Reception, Thursday, April 11, 5-7pm
WORKSHOP NEWS Sign up Today! Workshops 2018-2019 January workshop - Randy Hale Our next two workshops are 2-day workshops, led by Randy Hale, and they are both filled! His first one doesn t start until January 15, so if you d like to get on a wait list for either one, contact Judy Constantine. We are looking ahead now to our February workshop with Lian Quan Zhen (www.lianspainting. com.) This is a class for all skill levels, and he keeps it simple by using only 3 primary colors! You will get instruction on mixing colors on paper and plenty of time to practice in class. There are still a few spaces left, so hop online to our website today and put down a deposit to reserve your seat! The amazing portrait painter Fealing Lin will wrap up our workshop season in March. There is still plenty of space for you if you are looking to take your portraiture to a new level. This class is for immediate to advanced skill levels, and Lin will show you how to capture the quality of light of your subject and achieve transparency in your images. Visit his website www.fealingwatercolor.com for examples of his work. The reviews are coming in from our previous workshop, and everyone is delighted with our new workshop space, at St. Frances Celebration Center on River Road. With lots of parking, and a beautiful large room with picture windows looking out at the Catalinas, how can it be better! Contact Judy Constantine, the workshop registrar, with any questions. Submitted by - Judy Constantine, Workshop Registrar Coming Soon! Lian Quan Zhen February 12-15, 2019 $395 SAWG Members $495 Non-Members Watercolor Paint Themselves All Levels (maximum of 22) Fealing Lin March 12-15, 2019 $395 SAWG Members $495 Non- Members Luminous Watercolor Portraiture Intermediate to Advanced Skill Levels (maximum of 25)
GALLERY NEWS VOLUNTEERING as a SAWG Gallery docent can be a lot of fun! DOCENT ORIENTATION DATES FOR SPRING 2019 January 9 February 13 March 13 April 10 May 8 Additional dates will be added as needed. Call or email Kitty Sturrock to sign up. kittysturrock@gmail.com or 262-893-4982 Interested in being a Gallery Docent Volunteer or Substitute? The Gallery Manager maintains a list of volunteers and substitutes. Those members on the list, are contacted by the Docent Coordinator (by email) to determine interest and availability to docent for each show. You select when you would like to docent whether or not you are exhibiting in the show. Join us! Contact the Gallery Manager at gallery@ southernazwatercolorguild.com to add your name to the list. If you need to delete your name, the Gallery Manager can do that also. Reminder! If you leave an item or a note at the gallery, please be sure to include the following information: 1. Who does the item or message go to? 2. Date the note and 3. Sign the note. Things have been left at the gallery and we don t know who they belong to or how to return them or how to follow up on messages that are not clear. Thanks in advance for your help. Submitted by Monica Hart Gallery Stats for September with a comparison to 2017 and 2014 (River Gallery): Total Revenue: 2018 $3,572 2017 $1,255 2014 $2,843 (includes calendar sales) Total Visitors: 2018-182 2017-154 (Note: The Gallery hosted an Art Rummage Sale on Nov. 3 &4) By Day of Week: Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2018 18 2018 13 2018 34 2018 28 2018 47 2018 42 2017 20 2017 23 2017 20 2017 36 2017 37 2017 18 By Time of Day: 9-11 11-1 1-3 3-5 Members Only: 2018 14 2018 49 2018 78 2018 41 2018 93 2017 0 2017 57 2017 75 2017 22 2017 70 $ $ $ $ Drum Roll, Please! Thank you so much to our docents who continue to ask visitors how they found the gallery! Docents - here are your results from October and November: Oct: The gallery had 109 visitors. 6 saw our website, 18 entered the gallery during Open Studio when they saw our artists painting, 3 saw our print media and 3 heard our repeated radio ads. Nov: We had 144 visitors. 4 saw our website, 2 noticed us on facebook, 6 saw our online news, 3 heard our radio ads, 2 saw our Desert Leaf ad, and 1 visitor saw our ad in Caliente. Docents please note the Survey form has been streamlined. Please continue to ask visitors how they heard of us - for example, word of mouth, passing by, heard or saw one of our ads. The form will be on the docent desk. This will help us determine where to put our advertising money next year!! Thanks so much for continuing to talk up the guild and gallery with your friends and family. Don t forget! If you have more ideas about connecting our gallery with the local community or want to join our dynamic publicity team, contact Sandra Montgomery! SAWG is on the MOVE!!!
MORE GALLERY NEWS Mini Workshops Galore! FRAMING ON THE CHEAP! Watch your eblasts!!!! Next up is Framing on the Cheap! Monday, January 21st, 1-2:30 at the gallery. Only 10 spots available! Rsvp starting December 21st to Karyn Vampotic at president@southernazwatercolorguild.com. Karyn Vampotic and Mike Dutton will show you how to use a $3.00 - $12 thrift store frame to show off your masterpiece and offer other tips! RSVP IS REQUIRED TO DUE LIMITED FREE MATERIALS AND SPACE! Attendees may bring a small painting they want framed. All of the rest of the supplies, including frames, but not including D-rings and wires, will be provided. Step by step you ll learn how to maximize profit from the sale of a painting by minimizing upfront costs. Materials list provided. Go home with a framed painting ready to wire up! PAINTING SKIES Miniworkshop on Painting Skies with the Wet on Wet Technique taught by Loisanne Keller Learn about painting simple and complex washes and stormy skies as inspired by our monsoon skies. We'll paint wet on wet using lots of paint and big brushes! Where: at the SAWG Gallery workshop space. When: Tuesday February 5, Wednesday Feb 6, and Tuesday February 12. Time: 9:300-12:30 pm, 3 hours each day Cost: $90 for all 3 days Class is limited to 8 people. For more information, or to register, contact Loisanne Keller loisannek@gmail.com A 50% deposit is required to secure your space, fully refundable if the minimum of 5 people is not met. TEACHING MEMBERS Calling all members who teach classes outside of the gallery! Consider holding your classes in the back room at the gallery! For information go to our website www.southernazwatercolorguild. com and click on Mini-Workshops. Wouldn t you like SAWG to do your advertising for students for you in our Sketchbook and by eblast? New members and potential members ask all the time about taking watercolor classes. Consider the gallery as a site to share your expertise and support SAWG at the same time!! Clip and Save! MEETING SCHEDULE January 14, Monday 7-9pm General Meeting Randy Hale, Artist Demo February 11, Monday 7-9pm General Meeting Liam Zhen, Artist Demo March 11, Monday 7-9pm General Meeting Fealing Lin, Artist Demo April TBD May TBD
PUBLICITY NEWS PUBLICITY IS ON THE MOVE! On Friday Nov 16, the Publicity Committee met for a Brainstorming session. Risa Waldt and Sandra Montgomery were joined by Lisa Bagshaw and Edlynne Sillman. A big WELCOME to Lisa and Edlynne to our 2018-2019 publicity PUSH! Many thanks as well to Sue Hildreth who has taken over the responsibility of ensuring SAWG s monthly online listings are posted! Sandra continues to research ways to connect with the larger community, including outreach to retirement communities by in person visits, delivery of our beautiful Show Rack Cards, Workshop News and Guild Brochures designed by our one and only Sandy Walker! The committee then follows up with phone calls and emails to the retirement communities Program Directors to encourage resident visits to our Gallery, and discuss possible hands-on workshops for their population. Thanks for getting this ball rolling, Bob and Helen Jennette, by visiting Splendido! MEMBERSHIP NEWS MEMBERSHIP NEWS! WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! Nancy Drigotas Kim Fernandez Margaret Litowich Susan L. Mitchell Publicity REMINDER Member News goes in the Seat Announcements Please remember to turn in your form once you reach a new status. We ll help when needed, but it s up to you to track your point shows. For more details CHECK online under Membership. American Frame Discount If our members use the code ALLIANCE2018 when they place an order, they should get the discount. As of: December 21, 2018 Bank Balances: SAWG Wells Fargo Bank: General Fund Checking...$51,533 General Fund Savings...$28,781 Total...$80,314 proud member of the program Restricted Accounts: Scholarship Checking...$ 1,707 Western Fed...$10,000 Hollander Scholarship...$11,592 Total... $23,299 Many thanks to Lisa Bagshaw and Edlynne Sillman who plan to contact additional retirement communities and have distributed SAWG materials at Northwest public venues, including the Shannon YMCA and the Oro Valley Library. Risa Waldt continues to distribute our Rack Cards at resorts on the Northeast part of town, including offices of interior designers and real estate agents. There is still room for help distributing our materials in other parts of town!!! Do YOU have somewhere you d like to educate on our guild and gallery? A SAWG ad will also appear in the February Gem and Mineral Show online brochure with color photo and information on our Guild and Gallery. Advertising was purchased for February at the Loft Theatre and Movie Guide. Want to make a difference in someone s life by a once a month commitment? If interested, please connect directly with Nanci. Handmaker is a non-profit senior living community in Tucson. We have a good number of residents who are artists, and enjoy watercolor painting, and we were looking for someone who might be willing to volunteer to work with our residents once a month. Interested? - call... Nanci Levy Community Outreach Coordinator Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging 2221 N. Rosemont Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85712 (520)322-3632 nlevy@handmaker.org DVD LIBRARY Our DVD library has been active this fall and the new DVD club, so far, has been very successful. The library is now the owner of a new DVD - 7 steps to watercolor landscapes by Michael Holter, who will be coming to teach in 2019. Remember, the list is online if you want to choose what you want to view for a month for the suggested donation of $1.00. If you want a particular DVD to pick up at the January meeting, please email me at dockie@q.com. With our Facebook boosts for the Color My World show, the gallery reached approximately 5,000 people with many likes, shares and clicks through all the photos! We are reaching people online and that s good news; the numbers are there and hopefully we are increasing our buying public through our online presence.